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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Focus on Asia Audience Award - True Noon

2010 Audience Award Winner

Nosir Saidov for True Noon

This year's audience award went to Nosir Saidov for his film True Noon. The film, from Tajikistan, is the story of a village divided. As wedding plans are being made for a young couple, Tajikistani soldiers arrive at the village to instigate the new national border. A barbed wire fence is erected and splits the village down the middle. Despite the soldiers threats the families decide to go ahead with the wedding.

The audience award acts as the centre-piece of the festival. It is as festival chairman, Shindo Tsuneo, described an award where the citizens of Fukuoka are the jury. After screenings the audience are given a slip of paper which they fold according to their grading of the film. As audience numbers vary, the highest average score goes on to take the prize.

Nosir Saidov was born in 1966 in Tajikistan. True Noon was his first feature film. It has won awards at film festivals in India, Iran and Russia. Saidov was assistant director on Luna Papa 1999 and The Suit 2003.

There will be another, final, screening of True Noon in the Elgala Hall on Saturday the 25th at 4.00pm for anyone who would like a chance to catch it.